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African American Fiction April 2026 |
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Leave Your Mess at Home
by Tolani Akinola
Tolani Akinola is a gifted, powerful new voice in American fiction.--Rachel Khong, New York Times bestselling author of Real Americans
A warm, smart, hilarious, delicious, riveting (Curtis Sittenfeld) debut about the uncomfortable, unbreakable ties of family as four adult siblings come home to confront the state of their own lives and each other The Longe siblings are really botching their parents' American Dream. Sola Longe, eldest daughter, estranged from the family, is secretly back home in Chicago for the first time in a decade. She's a newly single and recently disgraced influencer trying to quietly put her life back together again. The other three Longe siblings aren't doing much better. Anjola is in love with her best friend, who just got engaged to someone else; Karen, a college junior and the baby of the family, is grappling with her sexuality and self-image; and Ola, the golden child with a baby of his own on the way, is questioning his marriage and how to raise a Black son in America.
Sola's unexpected return sets them on a crash course towards each other, and when the four siblings find themselves together again at their Nigerian immigrant parents' Thanksgiving table, a decade's worth of secrets and a lifetime of resentments explode to the fore. In the wreckage of their fateful reunion, each Longe is forced to reckon with the past, take stock of what really matters, and find a way back to each other. Big-hearted, hilarious, and poignant, Leave Your Mess At Home is an insightful debut about forgiveness, unconditional love, and becoming who you want to be, asking the question: what do we owe to our families, and what do we owe to ourselves?
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Big Girl Blitz
by Danielle Allen
Nothing is hotter and more fun than Danielle Allen's writing.-- Ali Hazelwood Because life's too short, and mean girls ain't sh...Jazmyn Payne fled her hometown--and the fatphobes who made her life hell- the minute she graduated high school. Growing up, her haven was her Aunt Addison, and when her health takes a drastic turn, she insists that Jazz should spice up her life. Emphasis on spice. But dating is the last thing Jazz had on her mind. Until Lamar Anderson sits next to her at the local sports bar. He is sexy, fun, and refreshingly drama free. With him she's able to pretend that everything is alright. But as real life intrudes, Jazz has to decide if she can leave the past where it belongs... for a love that she deserves.
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Love by the Book by Jessica GeorgeThe New York Times bestselling author of Maame is back with a funny, moving story about the friendship between two women at a crossroads in their thirties. Remy is lucky. Her debut novel, based on her three best friends, became an instant bestseller when it was released, and her agent and publisher are clamoring for a follow-up. But just as Remy’s creative inspiration seems to leave her, so too do her friends: one moves to New York, one gets pregnant, and one gets back together with her (awful) boyfriend. After an ill-advised one-night stand complicates matters further, Remy is left deeply alone—and unable to find her next book idea.
Simone is successful. A Kindergarten teacher with a passion for kids, and a well-paying side hustle that affords her all the material comforts she desires, she doesn't have time for a robust social life. All Simone needs is her close-knit family—but after the true nature of her work is revealed, they cut her off, and she realizes for the first time just how isolated she is.
When Simone and Remy bump into each other (literally) in a bookstore, it isn’t exactly soulmates at first sight. |
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Rich and Rotten
by Jahquel J
Explosive, sensual, and unapologetically raw, Rich and Rotten delivers Jahquel J.'s signature blend of passionate romance and high-stakes family drama--where love is the most dangerous game, and trust is the rarest luxury.
In Greenwich Pointe's world of Black wealth and power, Tatiana Rich has everything money can buy--except freedom. When her kingpin father forces her into a strategic marriage with the Sterling dynasty's heir, she begs Nazir Kane--the man she fell for during her college years--to run away with her. By morning, he's vanished without a word. A decade later, Tatiana is rebuilding her life after her husband Karim's tragic death. While raising their daughter and growing her luxury spa empire, an assassination attempt on her father brings an unexpected guardian: Nazir Kane--now a powerful security specialist assigned to protect her family. Living under the same roof as the man who shattered her heart is torture enough. But as old flames reignite, darker truths emerge about the father who controlled her and the husband she mourned. With enemies closing in and whispers that her husband's death wasn't an accident, Tatiana must decide if the man who once betrayed her is the only one who can save her now . . .
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Bad Seeds by Mary MonroeA warm-hearted, generous businesswoman discovers her dark side when she's betrayed by both the younger man she thought was the love of her life and the best friend she's always trusted--with shattering consequences--in New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe's final standalone novel set in the outrageously scandalous, colorful town of Lexington, Alabama. The daughter of a hardworking restaurant owner, Louise Brooks always sees the best in people--and in helping them no matter how difficult her own life gets. She's lived through tragic loss and working in the family business, even after enduring a failed marriage and raising a child. So she's delighted when she finds a best friend in Della Thornton, a woman struggling with bad breaks and unlucky romances. Many years later, when Louise's father and her prosperous second husband pass away, Louise takes Della in and gives her a role in the restaurant as it grows more successful than ever . . . Louise is now convinced lasting love is not in the cards for her--until she runs into handsome Malcolm Purdy. He's everything she could want--outgoing, charming, and attentive. Soon they become engaged. And although Louise is dismayed that Della and Malcolm hate each other from the start, she does her best to keep the peace between the two people she cares about and trusts the most . . . But a chance encounter from the past shows Louise that neither Della nor Malcolm is quite who they say they are--and their deceit runs deeper and deadlier than she imagined. With her illusions in ruins, how far will she go to see justice served? And will her final shocking move cost her more than she's willing to lose? |
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Struck Speechless
by Tati Richardson
Sports agent Jackie Miles is a petite powerhouse who has built her empire on killer instincts, designer stilettos, and tough skin. Her client roster is legendary, her temper is hotter than Georgia asphalt, and aside from her French bulldog PeeWee and her boss chick village, she's perfectly content flying solo. Then Antonio Steele walks back into her life, and all hell breaks loose. The towering former football star turned rival agent has always known exactly which buttons to push. Just when Jackie thinks she can handle their explosive chemistry and complicated past, she mysteriously loses her voice. But this isn't ordinary laryngitis; a cryptic stranger's message implies that Jackie must quiet her tongue and listen with her heart to lift whatever spell she's under. With a career-defining client trip to Mexico looming, and only the devastatingly handsome Antonio as backup, Jackie must learn to let go-if only she could trust him to catch her. Struck Speechless is book two in the Boss Chicks Village Series, following the hit romcom Losing Sight.
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Don't Tell Me How It Ends
by Adrienne Thurman
A floundering twenty-something who's sworn off romance finds herself roped into her meddling sister's matchmaking business in this sparkling debut romcom that asks: Can we protect ourselves while falling in love? A sharp, funny, feel-good love story about bad dates, big feelings, and one deliciously slow-burning love.--Nikki Payne, USA Today bestselling author of The Princess and the P.I. Kaia Harper may not have a plan for her life, but she knows what she won't be doing--falling for somebody's dusty son, promising forever. She'd rather spend the summer after college having disappointing one-night stands and watching crime show reruns. At least she won't be caught off guard since she already knows how all those stories end. But when her very pregnant and newly single sister calls for help, Kaia reroutes, stumbling back home to suburban Connecticut...and into the business plan of her sister's new matchmaking company. Kaia's views on love remain as bleak as her career prospects, but if becoming the inaugural client can distract her from existential questions like What am I even doing with my life?, Kaia can suffer through a few bad dates and call it a favor. When Ro Jackson finds Kaia stalled on the side of the road, he isn't put off by her attitude. His steady disposition is Kaia's opposite and makes him exactly what she needs--a friend in town who can handle her just as she is. But as Ro talks Kaia through a summer of failed matches, she finds herself drawn to more than just his poetic outlook and friendship. Kaia hadn't seen this one coming, but as she and Ro grow closer, she'll have to decide what's more important: needing to know the end of every story, or jumping into the unknown.
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